Coptic Fasting Calendar 1940
Coptic fasting calendar 1940: Great Lent from Monday, March 4, 1940 to Saturday, April 27, 1940, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1940
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 193915 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 194027 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 5, 194026 Koiak | Sat, Jan 6, 194027 Koiak | 2 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 19, 194010 Tobi | Fri, Jan 19, 194010 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 19, 194011 Meshir | Wed, Feb 21, 194013 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 4, 194025 Meshir | Sat, Apr 27, 194019 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 17, 194010 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 19404 Epip | 25 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 19401 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 194015 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 194016 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 194128 Koiak | 43 days |
The fasts of the Coptic Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church keeps many fasts through the year: Great Lent (55 days, Holy Week included), the Fast of Nineveh (3 days), the Apostles' Fast, the Fast of the Virgin Mary (15 days), the Nativity Fast (43 days, from November 25 to January 6), and the paramoun before the Nativity and the Theophany. Great Lent, the Fast of Nineveh and the Apostles' Fast depend on the date of Easter, so they move every year, and the length of the Apostles' Fast changes with them.
Wednesdays and Fridays
Wednesday and Friday are fasting days every week of the year, except during the Holy Fifty Days after Easter, and when the Nativity or the Theophany falls on one of them.
The paramoun
The paramoun is a day of strict fasting in preparation for the Nativity and the Theophany. It is one day; it becomes two days when the feast falls on a Sunday, and three when it falls on a Monday.